


ill

by merlinsmushrooms



Category: Sofia the First (Cartoon)
Genre: Angst, Illness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-14
Updated: 2017-04-24
Packaged: 2018-08-15 00:13:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,764
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8034475
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/merlinsmushrooms/pseuds/merlinsmushrooms
Summary: Roland visits Sofia bearing worrisome news.





	1. Chapter 1

Sofia was at first delightfully surprised to hear her father knocking upon her door so early in the morning. It was an unexpected visitation, but she would never deny her father an audience with her. However, as Roland slipped himself inside her room she could tell that the reason for his unannounced presence was something serious. Roland’s normal cheerful demeanor had been replaced with a solemn expression that she had never seen him harbour before. It was almost as if he were fighting back tears as he quietly asked her to take a seat on her bed - voice cracked and as gentle as a whisper. 

There was a slight hesitation as the King sat himself down alongside her, fingers running gently through her hair before finally speaking,

“Sofia, there’s been an… accident,” he would state with a creaking to his voice, “but everything is okay for now.”

Everything is okay now? Well, that was something that was good to know upfront. For a moment her heart had sunk in a horribly painful manner thinking something terrible had happened, but that must have been why he was so quick to reassure her. Something must have seriously scared him if he was this upset about something that was apparently fine now - but who was it? Mom? Amber? James? Baileywick? 

“What happened?” she’d question with the most sincere tone she could attempt to muster.

There was an awkwardly long pause of silence from her father before he’d glance at her with a slight quiver to his lip. She couldn’t bring herself to smile like she usually did when comforting him during the odd moments his strength faltered, but rather she’d simply repeat the soothing notion that he had done to her just prior. A gentle touch upon his face as she simply nodded to show she could wait for him to muster the words he needed - to show she was prepared to hear something that could be far worse than expected.

“...We almost lost Cedric.”

“Mister Cedric?”

Almost...lost Cedric? What did that mean? He had said there was an accident...did one of his spells backfire on him again? Did he injure himself because of it? It wouldn’t surprise her in the slightest if that was what happened, but it didn’t settle the feeling of shock that had just been thrust upon her. She had never considered that Cedric’s sometimes iffy handle on his magic could possibly cause him to injure himself. If anything, she felt guilty that she hadn’t thought of Cedric when Roland had mentioned something was wrong in the first place because of his circumstances.

“I figure you’re getting old enough to know when these things happen,” Roland stated softly as he wrapped an arm around her in a gentle embrace, “You’re friends with him, right?” 

All she could respond with was a single nod. Her thoughts were still very displaced from trying to figure out what exactly could have happened to him. She knew better than to pester her father for any sort of answers at this point, however, as he still seemed to be more upset than she was at the idea that something so serious had happened. It was still an odd notion, however, to see him on the verge of tears over an injury - especially when it seemed like Cedric had accidents all the time. Even still, Roland had never seemed overtly fond of her favorite bumbling sorcerer...and yet…

“Y-Yes. Mister Cedric is a very good friend of mine.” she would answer quietly as she continued to dwell on her thoughts. 

“Well,” Roland would begin with another pause of hesitation before he’d finally sigh, “Cedric’s been...ill for a very long time.”

Cedric was sick? While he was certainly very scrawny and a tad more pale than anybody else she had ever met before, she had never figured him to be ill - just scrawny. Why, just the day prior she had just been visiting with him and he seemed perfectly fine. The same as usual! Was he hiding something from her all this time? Or had she just not noticed? If she hadn’t noticed - would that make her a horrible friend? Or...did he just not want her to worry about him? 

“Sofia. I think you should go see him. He needs a friend.”

Finally, a smile would start to form upon Sofia’s lips. If she could help him - she would try. Afterall, he would always stop what he was doing for her when she needed him no matter how busy he was. Instantly, Sofia would slide herself off the bed with Roland’s hand in hers to demand they leave immediately. 

At first Sofia had paced ahead of her father with a worried skip to her step. However, just as Sofia turned to leave towards the gardens leading to Cedric’s workshop Roland would reach a hand out to her shoulder to gently grasp it. A shake of his head no would indicate that she was going the wrong way. Perhaps because there was an accident they had taken him elsewhere? How silly of her. It was obvious they would have taken him to the castle’s infirmary if he had injured himself! He was technically a servant after all - a thought that just resounded to her for the first time in quite a while. He’d be treated in the same manner as all the other servants, wouldn’t he?

Not a word would be exchanged between them as they made their way through the sunny corridors leading to the servant’s quarters. The maids were bustling up and down the halls doing their usual work without any sort of difference to their mannerisms. They were always such a busy lot and she took a moment to smile at each of them - just in case they needed it. It did seem strange that with such a serious thing having happened that none of them seemed to carry themselves even remotely as close to the way that her father was. Perhaps they didn’t know? It would make sense to not tell them of anything of the sort so they could focus on their work…

Before she could enter the little enclave that had been used as the castle’s infirmary, Roland would stop her once more before she could step through the doors. 

“Wait here, please.” he would politely request.

She wasn’t exactly sure why he has asked her to wait after having asked her to follow him out here to visit him. There were many ideas racing through her mind but she attempted to drown them out with positives. That’s what Mister Cedric would need in a time like this - positives. That’s exactly why Roland would have wanted her here in the first place. Taking the quick break as an attempt to compose herself, Sofia would straighten herself out and practice the warmest smile she possibly could. Afterall - he needed a good friend, right?

The voice that called to her to enter wasn’t that of her father, but that of an older yet familiar woman.

“Come in dearie. Just be very quiet.”

Of course Winnifred would be here for Cedric. While she had only met his mother once before during a Buttercup’s trip to Mystic Meadows, she got the feeling that Winnifred truly cared for her son. Despite the situation, however, the elderly sorceress would greet Sofia with a gentle and reassuring smile. Despite her warm nature, Winnifred seemed absolutely exhausted. Sofia’s first thought was that she was the one who was caring for her son. If it were a magical accident Cedric was usually the one who needed to take care of things (even if the others were always reluctant to take his assistance), but it was Cedric himself who was injured this time. There was nobody who could help him except for maybe his parents...

The first thing that Sofia would note upon being escorted into the room by Winnifred was that there was one more person who had come to visit; Baileywick. The stewart would tip his head in greeting with a finger placed to his lips to indicate quiet as she slipped past both him and Roland to the only bed in the small room. 

It was apparent to her now more than ever that something had gone terribly wrong. The shrill noise of Cedric struggling to breathe was easily one of the most heart-wrenching moments she had ever felt before in her life. For the first time she could finally understand why her father was so distressed when he had first approached her about Cedric’s condition. As she came closer to him she couldn’t help but notice just how much more pale he had grown than his usual state. It was like she was staring at a sleeping ghost - or worse. All she could bring herself to do in her state of shock was reach out to brush his grayed bangs back into their proper place as he slept. 

As her fingers gently traced his sweat beaded forehead, his eyes would open only half-ways as he stared up at her without any other sort of movement. At first she was shocked that he was actually awake despite the precautions of the others, but another part of her was relieved to see that he was still strong enough to react to her touch. Attempting to smile, Sofia would gently stroke his hair much as her father had done to comfort her not too long ago. It was the only thing she could think of to do in the moment.

All the sorcerer seemed to be able to manage was a quiet groan as his head leaned to rest against her touch softly as his eyes shut once more. It was obvious that he barely had any strength left in him. His lips would flicker in a manner that she couldn’t quite tell his expression - was it an attempt at mirroring her smiling? Or was it just a twitch of some sort? Emotion was so very hard to read with him even when he wasn’t in such a state.

Suddenly, Sofia could feel herself being scooped up from behind. Without a word, Roland would place her on the bed right alongside the sickly sorcerer in a prompt that she could understand immediately from his concerned expression. Nesting up alongside Cedric, she would rest her head upon his chest carefully to make sure that she wasn’t too heavy for him. A pained gasp would escape him as she curled up beside him, but she would glance up to him to see that he was not looking at her - but rather at Roland still without any sort of comprehensible expression. Exhausted eyes would dart quickly between the King and her before she could feel a weightless hand slip to rest upon her shoulder, his body adjusting slightly for comfort as he turned ever so slightly for what she assumed to be comfort without removing her from his chest.

This was why she was brought here.  
He needed this more than anything in the world - he had needed this for a very long time.

Nuzzling softly, Sofia would whisper to him warmly,  
“You’ll be okay.”

She’d make sure of it.


	2. Cedric

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cedric's point of view of Sofia's visit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> {{Please be advised this chapter deals with triggering content.}}

He could hear absolutely everything. Every conversation, every muffled cry, and every accusation as to why he had put himself into this state from the few that attended to him. They should have known why. It wasn’t the first time that things had come to this, but still, they were ignorant to his strifes and sorrows. It was difficult for him to make out the details in the conversations of those who had taken it upon themselves to be his caretaker, but from what little he could understand he could tell they were all false assumptions. He was just far too exhausted to focus, and slipping in and out of dreamless sleep in what felt like random intervals; a state which he had hoped would be permanent the evening prior.

It was a mystery if they knew if he was conscious or not. The few times he had managed to open his eyes their backs were luckily turned, and he continued to play comatose each time they approached to assist him. He had no want to speak to Roland, who acted as if he were concerned to his poor mother (the only person he felt a tinge of regret for upsetting with his desperation), nor did he desire to be lectured by Baileywick once again. All he desired at this point was for his migraine, nausea, and aching to cease— things he'd hoped he wouldn't need to deal with if his plan had actually worked.

Sleep was something he was desperately craving when he heard footsteps from the door. An exchange was given between what sounded like Roland and his mother, asking if he was doing okay and if he could try something. It was hard to tell what exactly that something was; it was impossible to focus on their words as his head spun, nor did he particularly care to know what the king’s scheme was in the first place. The sound of his mother telling somebody to come in was all he could fully make out between them and the gentle patter of footsteps upon the stone floor of the infirmary.

Tiny fingers gently brushed against his forehead, but they were not those of his mother’s. Curiosity was not a feeling he could ignore as his stomach twisted at the thought of who it could be, and his fears were confirmed when he could faintly make out the image of the young princess standing at his bedside with the most unsettling smile upon her lips. Why would Roland bring her to him? The least he could have done was wait until he was in a more rehabilitated state as to not upset the child, but no— Roland had to put this upon her. The idiot. What was he thinking?!

He could tell the child was attempting to comfort him. It was bittersweet and a notion that hadn’t felt sincere from anybody else besides his mother. It was an oddity that he couldn’t fully understand, but despite his acrimony at Roland’s hasty and foolish decision to expose Sofia to his pain, he couldn’t help but be somewhat soothed by her touch. Using what little strength he could muster he would lean his head against her arm, the fatigue overwhelming him as he rested against her. He couldn’t keep his eyes open nor his focus on the child no matter how much he wanted to, and he couldn’t help but be awash with disappointment as he felt the child shift away from him. 

And for a moment he felt alone once more. That brief moment of cosseting was lost just as quickly as it had piqued his hopes, and for some reason, he felt himself longing for more. The princess was such an innocent young girl, and her kindness— while misguided— was pure; wasted on somebody who was as far gone as him.

His thoughts were interrupted by the awkward sensation of his bed shifting, and the warmth of the child curling up alongside him. He could feel her resting her head on top of his chest, and while normally he would protest due to the pain that shot through his body, he could not. Despite how much harder it became to breathe with her weight upon him, he also felt the vice grip upon his head loosen. His hand reaching out to rest on her back felt like a sort of instinct, his head cocking curiously as he stared down upon her unexpected embrace. 

It was then that he glanced upwards to see Roland watching from the seat beside them. His solemn expression was unnerving, still as forced as ever. In that moment all of his anger was directed towards the pompous king through a cold and half-lidded glare. The monarch wouldn’t respond, however, and simply dipped his head to rest his forehead in a palm, his own eyes shutting as his head shook in some sort of disagreeance. Towards what was vague, but the tired sorcerer could only assume it was towards his own animosity. Perhaps, if his assumptions were correct, Roland was right and now was not the time for their petty silent conflict. 

The gentle nuzzle and whisper of the child curled up atop his chest reminded him of what actually mattered.

“You’ll be okay.”

He had no strength for words— only tears.  
For her sake, he would be.

**Author's Note:**

> {{Based off a vote that was posted to Tumblr. Folks really wanted angst with Sofia and Cedric and I figured this would suffice.}}


End file.
